I once read "Insects" when I was young, and I was full of yearning for the insect world described by Fabre. I often turned over stones or inspected leaves to look for the small insects hiding in the depths. Now that I am getting older, I have gradually developed an inexplicable fear of insects in nature, such as bedbugs, cockroaches, ticks, centipedes, etc. Every time they suddenly appear, I will be terrified.
Until the appearance of this book, I rediscovered my childhood love and curiosity about insects, and also learned a lot of knowledge about insects that I had never known before. This set of insect pocket books is divided into five volumes, which introduce the hemiwing family, orthowing family, butterfly family, dragonfly family and beetle family of insects. The photographer of this book is teacher Tang Zhiyuan . He has rich experience in ecological photography. Behind every beautiful picture is careful production with full sincerity. Below, a brief introduction to this book will be given based on the types of insects.
1. Hemiwing Family
The text part of this volume was written by the famous popular science author Zhang Chenliang . As teacher Xiaoliang said in the preface, this set of books is very suitable for cultivating readers' interest in insects and for studying insects. Habits and popular science knowledge about insects play an important role.
First of all, we must understand what Hemiptera insects are. By definition, , the forewings of Hemiptera are divided into two structures, the first half is leathery, and the second half is membranous. Hemiptera is a huge family, and there are many kinds of insects in a broad sense. This book starts with Hemiptera in a narrow sense, mainly stink bugs.
Stink bugs are highly recognizable due to their bright colors. There are also many species of ecological pests, including common bed bugs. The distribution of stink bugs is very wide, not only on land, but also in the ocean. By introducing the birth, growth, maturity and common species of stink bugs, we can understand the habits of these insects. At the end of the article, we even list methods of catching and raising stink bugs, so that insect enthusiasts can better observe these bugs. Little creatures.
2. Orthoptera family
The distinction between Orthoptera is not literal. Rather than judging by the wings, it is better to judge by the legs. Orthoptera insects have strong hind legs suitable for jumping. Common ones include grasshoppers, crickets, grasshoppers , etc. Compared with Hemiptera, Orthoptera is easier to attract people's attention. After all, Orthoptera also has a huge advantage, that is, they can sing through their wings.
Orthoptera is also a huge family. A Western entomologist even said that there are so many types of Orthoptera that their names are endless. In fact, to distinguish them, we first divide them into Zhiqi, Dongqi and Tuqi according to their living habits.
The famous representative insect of the Tuqi sect is undoubtedly the "Hercules" mole cricket . This small insect that travels underground has also been mentioned in northern Chinese proverbs, but this guy is a complete pest, specializing in damaging the roots of crops.
The representative insect of the Dongqi School is the long jump master cricket. Of course, Chinese literati also have a special liking for this small insect that is good at singing, and it also has a nickname - promoting weaving. Although crickets hide in caves among vegetation, they never shy away from singing. They are truly singers in the insect world.
The plant-dwelling species belongs to the family of Katydids . This insect is widely distributed and has many types. Similar to crickets, Katydid is also a kind of insect that is good at singing. Sometimes if you follow the sound and look for it, you will find a hidden one. The katydids in the grass may be singing loudly.
One of the most obvious characteristics of the Orthopterygoid family is that they are good at singing, so many insect enthusiasts also like to raise them. If you search according to the tips in the book, I believe you will definitely find the song insect you like.
3. Beetle Family
You would never have thought that the insect with the most species in the entire class Insecta is actually a hard-wearing beetle. Beetles have very distinctive characteristics. Their front wings are as hard as armor, as if they are covered with a layer of armor.Beetles, also known as Coleoptera , have more than 100 family classifications and are definitely the leading players in the insect family. 18 of them are selected for introduction in this book.
As the largest, most diverse, and most evolved insects, beetles clearly have unique ways of surviving. For example, Carabidae are good at chasing, are the dominant underwater hunters Astonidae , the swift-moving tiger beetle subfamily is as strong as an ox, Stagidae , and Cryptopodidae is the one that hides venom sacs. , etc. Each beetle has its own ability to survive. These strange beetles live in every corner of the earth. They are carnivorous, omnivorous, herbivorous and even scavenger. Their adaptability and distribution are amazing.
The beetle's adaptability obviously makes it easier for humans to keep it, making it an alternative existence in the pet world. The famous unicorn ( bifurcated rhinoceros ) is a star among beetles. Both adults and children will have a special liking for the huge unicorn. Japan even has a special "Beetle Sumo Tournament" to compete for the strongest beetle, which shows the high status of beetles in people's minds.
4. Dragonfly family
Human beings were inspired by dragonflies and invented the helicopter . An aircraft was also mentioned in the science fiction novel " Dune ", which uses a flight mode similar to the flapping wings of a dragonfly. It can be seen how popular this flying insect in the blue sky is.
Fossil research shows that the earliest appearance of dragonflies can be traced back to the Carboniferous Period of the Paleozoic Era 350 million years ago. This insect with huge eyes often appears in the poems of ancient Chinese. However, dragonflies are out-and-out top hunters. Their compound eyes can achieve a 360° viewing angle and can distinguish moving objects 40 meters away. There are sharp mouthparts under the head, six barbed legs and four transparent flying wings, making it an efficient aerial assassin.
Dragonflies live in the water during their larval stage. At this time, they are called " water flies". They feed on small fish and tadpoles. When they enter "incomplete metamorphosis", they will crawl out. Above the water, it spreads its long wings and flies into the sky. When the summer heat dissipates and the temperature drops sharply, the dragonflies that have completed their reproductive mission begin to languish and eventually fall into the sky, becoming nutrients for all living things.
5. Butterfly family
Some people may hate beetles and hemipterans, but absolutely no one hates butterflies. The butterfly dancing gracefully among the flowers is the most beautiful existence in the insect world. Its elegant dance has fascinated countless people.
Adult butterflies can be divided into three types: large, medium and small according to their body size. Papilionidae are generally large butterflies; Papilionidae and Nymphalidae are medium to large; Pierididae and Eye. The butterfly family is medium or small; while the butterfly family is the smallest.
It should be noted that butterflies and moths must not be confused. Generally speaking, the nocturnal and ordinary-looking ones are moths, while the colorful ones that appear during the day are butterflies. However, there are exceptions. Among moths there are also some with good looks, and among butterflies there are also plain-looking Cabernetae . Of course, it is very reliable to distinguish moths and butterflies based on their diurnal activity time. Most moths and butterflies can be distinguished by this characteristic.
Behind the beauty of butterflies lies a truth that is hard to see directly. It turns out that these cute insects are actually transformed from fleshy caterpillars, which is really surprising. With the use of more and more drugs, the living space of butterfly larvae has been further compressed. Nowadays, it is difficult to see a butterfly flying freely in the steel jungle of the city.
After reading five sincere insect science books in one go, I couldn't help but admire nature's creations. There is no shortage of beauty and miracles around us. What we lack is a pair of eyes to observe and care. A small pocket book brings the big world of insects.
